10 Dec, 2025
Forestville Retirement Community took a trip last out to Penrith for an early lunch on the Penrith River followed by a tour of the new Western Sydney International Airport.
Dining at the Log Cabin, they enjoyed a fabulous meal on the balcony overlooking the river, followed by a trip across town to the new Western Sydney International Airport, named after aviator Nancy-Bird Walton renowned as “the Angel of the Outback” for her numerous flights transporting doctors across communities in regional New South Wales.
The residents spent the day marvelling at the extensive growth of this part of Sydney over the past few years and were amazed by what the new airport will offer to those living in Greater Western Sydney. Several also thought they caught a glimpse of Olympic champion Jessica Fox rowing on the river!
Residents were drilled with a plethora of fascinating facts over the course of the day.
They learnt that 10 per cent of Australians live in Greater Western Sydney with 160 different nationalities in the region. It is the 3rd largest economy in Australia and will become a major cargo hub.
The airport itself, with a 3.7km runway will operate 24/7, hosting 10 million passengers annually.
The airport is also sustainable, using recycled water for irrigation and wastewater, 6,000 solar panels on the terminal roof and not a single tree was cut in the construction of the airport.
Interestingly, this airport won’t have a traditional air traffic control tower like Sydney Airport; everything will be managed remotely at Eastern Creek, 17 kms away. Known as the Digital Aerodrome Service (DAS), the system uses high definition and infrared cameras on a 45-metre mast to provide a live, 360-degree view of the airport, which controllers can view and manipulate on screens.
Community Manager Penny McIntyre shared, “The residents loved the trip and many pondered whether or not they might even catch a plane out of there next year! Maybe a mystery flight could be on the cards in the future!”